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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — a division
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com